


Betray Me Not

by LegendaryBiologist13



Category: Gungrave
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Bittersweet, Drama, Dubious Ethics, Ethical Dilemmas, Family, Father Figures, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Lawful vs Good, Loyalty, Physical Disability, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4603314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendaryBiologist13/pseuds/LegendaryBiologist13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[GGAM - BMN] At first, Mika thought Brandon didn't make it through the final battle. It turned out that he survived, but things were not that simple when Biscoe revealed that he had betrayed Millennion, including Mika herself. Treason to the syndicate resulted in a severe punishment, while betraying Mika meant hurting his own family for a lifetime.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sweet Remembrance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An attempt to resolve the rather ambiguous ending of the anime. The setting is during the last few scenes of episode 26. The second chapter will come alongside with this chapter, because the style is inspired by TolkienScholar's D.C. al Fine challenge at The Review Lounge, Too:
> 
> Write a scene or story from one perspective or point of view, then return to the beginning of the scene or story and write it again, showing us a completely different perspective, perhaps changing the POV character, filling in the gaps in the first section and making us see things we never saw before.
> 
> All disclaimers apply.

_"Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."_ – Lilo and Stitch

* * *

Brandon's fissure-ridden body lay silently beside Harry's corpse; the left sleeve of his tattered long coat and the right side of his torn pants were empty.

Mika stood several feet away from the motionless body, shedding tears whilst smiling a little. Brandon was gone, but he deserved that rest. He had always depended on life support even before he lost an arm and a leg; if he ever lacked the treatment he needed, his skin would crack and his muscles would stiffen. But even if he were gone, she would never forget him. Blood ties didn't matter; heck, whatever he was, she didn't care. He wasn't just a reanimated corpse, but also her daddy and part of her little family. He was the only person who had always provided the hugs and the protection she would never receive from her parents anymore.

Slowly, she walked towards his broken body. She wanted to be close to him once more, since she wouldn't have the chance to do that again when he had returned to his grave.

"Brandon…" Kneeling beside him, she blinked at the stench of rotten meat from where his left arm and right leg used to be. Brandon was dead, but why didn't his body discharge as much odor as his missing limbs?

_Maybe I'm just dreaming. He can't survive with such injuries._

Mika spent some time looking at his scarred face. Tears. Tears seeped out of his closed eye. Had he died in pain just now? Hopefully not, but if he had, the suffering was over at least.

Soon, a set of approaching footsteps prompted Mika to stand up and turn. Biscoe and Norton had come.

"He's gone," Biscoe muttered. "We're too late."

Mika shook her head. "It's okay. At least, he's at peace now."

"The trailer will arrive soon," Norton said. "Once it's here, we'll take him back to his grave."

"Thanks."

* * *

Brandon's broken body rested on the massive steel chair, oblivious to the doctor and everybody else around him.

Looking at the corpse, Mika remembered the IV line that used to attach on his forearm whenever he sat there. It must hurt, considering that the doctor had to push a big, thick needle into his skin to insert the life support line. However, Brandon seemed relaxed whenever he received the transfusion, just like the moments he spent his time with her.

But still, she had always noticed a tinge of pain and sorrow in his eye and face. Maybe he was longing for something? An eternal slumber? A family? Sometimes, Mika wondered if she had the chance to find the answer, if she could see him genuinely happy.

 _Dreamer._ Brandon was already gone. Not even a slightly raised arm of his, which she had just caught in her sight, convinced her that he was still alive. Dr. William stood beside his seat, so he might have moved Brandon's arm.

Strangely, the doctor's eyes and mouth were wide open. He hadn't done anything after all?

"You moved his arm?" Norton, who sat between Mika and Biscoe, asked as he glared at the doctor.

"If I had, I wouldn't have looked confused."

"There's no such thing as ghosts, Doctor."

Mika stood up and walked towards Brandon. Was he alive? If yes... But she winced momentarily at the thought. Living in such condition would hurt.

She grabbed his hand, hoping to elicit a response. His fingers curled a little at the touch. Reflex? Stiff joints? Mika couldn't tell. After that, a frown formed on his face.

"He's alive," William declared. "It's the only explanation why he could still raise his arm and frown, although...well, everything is stiff."

Smiling at that statement, Mika told Brandon, "Welcome back."

After a few seconds of what looked like a struggle to move an eyelid, Brandon finally opened his eye. Slowly, he looked to his right, bringing about a crisp crack as he moved his neck.

Mika put his arm down on the armrest, slowly and carefully as she didn't want to break anything by accident. "Brandon, just relax. We're inside Dr. Tokioka's trailer, so everything will be okay."

Brandon made another slow movement of his neck to look at Mika.

"It's okay. It really is. Just don't move too much."

Brandon only gave a vacant stare. Maybe he wanted to have his pain alleviated as soon as possible.

Mika looked at William, who simply said, "Tell Boss."

She turned to Biscoe, who nodded and took out his cell phone. "I'll make the preparation. Once we arrive at the quarters, Dr. William will take care of him."

After that, she returned her attention to Brandon, who still sported a blank expression on his face. Maybe not only physical pain bothered him. As much as she wanted to check on him, she thought that it would be better if she let him rest until he had had his wounds treated. It had taken a long time for him to complete just a small movement; how would he feel if she interrogated him, which would require him to move his jaw and make a gesture?

Soon, she decided to say, "Brandon, just sleep, okay? The doctor will take care of you once we arrive at the quarters."

* * *

Mika sat on the office's couch, listening to the conversation between Biscoe and Norton.

"Add forty million yules to our expense today, Norton. It's the amount we pay for Brandon's medical expense."

Norton stared at his laptop. "Looks like we'll be in a serious deficit today."

"Huh?"

"We've spent five hundred million yules for wages, eighty million yules for various organization's needs, and sixty million yules for our men's medical expense," Norton said. "In the mean time, we can just make six hundred fifty million yules from our business today."

"Why is our income that low?"

"We made many enemies during Harry's reign. Most of our business partners ended up terminating their contracts. And then, we spent a lot for our men's medical expense."

Biscoe slammed his fists onto the desk. "Damn it!" He looked at Mika.

"Um, Mr. Biscoe?"

"It's also Brandon's fault."

She stood up, her eyes widening. "Why?"

"He attacked my men to protect Harry. It's why our organization will be in serious deficit today!" Biscoe snapped. "We could've saved a lot of money if he hadn't hurt my men!"

"You must be joking!" Mika shouted. "Brandon is never a traitor!"

"He isn't because you never see it," Biscoe spoke, his voice calming down. "To be honest, Miss, we only help him because you say that he's actually a good person. Although we never see how good he is, we decided to trust you. This organization exists thanks to your father, so you have our respect."

"Now, this makes me wonder if he is nice to you just for his safety," Norton continued.

"No way! Brandon isn't that kind of person!"

Biscoe shrugged. "Anyway, we'll still give him the treatment he needs every day and pay for it, but in return, he'll have to work for the organization."

Mika stomped towards Biscoe's desk. "He'll work for the Mafia? You'll send him into mob wars?"

Biscoe nodded. "If he refuses, we'll simply off his life support."

"That's mean!"

"If we're that terrible, we must have asked him to work once he's up today."

Mika smacked the desk with a hand of hers. "But still, you can't force someone who has lost an arm and a leg to fight for you!"

"Why make a fuss about missing limbs? He only needs an arm to fire a gun. Leg? We can get him an artificial leg."

"Biscoe, that will add to our expense!" Norton warned.

Biscoe placed a palm on his forehead and sighed.

"Mr. Biscoe," Mika began softly, "why don't you just let Brandon rest? He may lose that artificial leg in a fight. Then, you want him to keep fighting, which means that you have to keep buying artificial legs."

"That's too easy for him. He needs to be punished."

"Just because he's a traitor?"

"Miss, if we're going by your father's rule, we're supposed to execute him for betraying us. But we respect you. You're the rightful heir of this organization after all."

Mika growled and turned away, gritting her teeth. Biscoe and Norton did not respect her. Not a bit. They were too harsh to the disabled Brandon.

Biscoe's calm voice suddenly came, "Miss, please understand."

"Your father was a strict person, while we had bent his rule because of you," Norton continued. "Do you think your father would have liked that?"

Mika looked down and clenched her fists. "Being that harsh doesn't solve everything."

"It does," Norton replied. "Millennion was a successful organization during your father's reign. Why? There were no traitors, which made the syndicate safe and stable."

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of a ringing phone. She turned to see Biscoe holding his cell phone. Could it be William? Had he finished treating Brandon's injuries and giving him the transfusions?

"Hmm, all right." Biscoe hung up the phone and looked at her. "Miss, you can return to the trailer now. Dr. William has treated Brandon's wounds."

"Okay."

Mika turned away and walked towards the office's exit door sluggishly, her mind racing with thoughts. If Brandon was indeed a traitor, she didn't think it would be a serious matter. She would simply forgive him and ask him to never betray them again; they were a family and forgiveness was better than hatred. In addition, Brandon was a good person. Incoming bullets? He would take them for her, sincerely and courageously. Feeling lonely? He would hug her, warmly and gently.

Unfortunately, nobody in Millennion cared.

* * *

Mika raised an eyebrow at the dim environment of the trailer. Didn't a doctor need a bright place to work?

William, who had probably noticed her confusion, said, "He couldn't sleep well until I switched off the lights."

"I see." She walked past William and halted in front of Brandon's bed - a steel recliner adjusted into a gurney without wheels. A slumbering Brandon lay there, breathing rhythmically with the aid of an oxygen mask. Wearing only boxers and a t-shirt exposed the bandaged stumps of his left arm and right leg.

She quickly shifted her gaze to his face. Drooped lips and traces of tears around the eye; even after having his wounds treated, he didn't seem to sleep well in a dark room. Maybe he didn't sustain just physical injuries.

"Brandon." She placed a hand on his forearm, which had an IV line connected to it. "You're hurt somewhere?"

"Miss," a voice came from behind, "you know what he is? A necrolyzer. A reanimated corpse. He has high pain tolerance. I've treated his wounds, too."

"I'm just asking if he's hurt somewhere, Doc. It's not necessarily physical injuries."

The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry, but a necrolyzer can't feel."

Mika's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, but she ignored William. "Do tell, Brandon," she murmured. "It's okay. Just let it all out." No answer came, so she waited for a few more seconds. But still, she received nothing but silence as the answer.

"Stop it already, Miss," William suddenly said. "As I've said, he can't feel."

Mika had had enough with the doctor. She glared at him and snapped, "He can! Don't you pay attention to his face? He's sad!"

William shrugged. "Whatever."

Mika returned her attention to Brandon and closed her eyes. She wanted to show William that he was very wrong, but how? Would asking Brandon whether he was a traitor or not do? He had always hated talking about betrayal, so it might spark an emotional response from him. However, she might regret her action afterwards.

She opened her eyes to look at Brandon. "Mr. Biscoe said that you were a traitor. Is it true?"

Brandon only responded with a bead of tears coming out of his closed eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Remember where the Anti-Necrolyze bullet hits Brandon in the last episode? His right leg. Then, his loss of leg happens off-screen, but one can hear the sound of something breaking off. Also, in the last few shots, the right side of Brandon's pants is empty.
> 
> 2\. Dr. William is not really an OC. I'm referring to the nameless scientist who talks to Biscoe about Anti-Necrolyze bullets. I bet he knows about Necrolyzation and how to sustain Brandon's body like Dr. Tokioka, not only because he once worked in Necrolyzation project (as stated by Biscoe at some point in the last few episodes, he is hiring the staffers from Necrolyzation project), but also, realistically speaking, one can't possibly create a cure and explain how it works without at least knowing the basics of the disease one is trying to cure (yeah, something like that).
> 
> 3\. As the posthumous child of Millennion's founder, Big Daddy, Mika hardly knows a thing about the syndicate. Her mother never tells her anything about the organization either.


	2. Lullaby for the Lost

Bang.

That ear-splitting sound signified the entry of a bullet into his brain and his ascent to the heavens with Harry… No. Aside from feeling no bullet hitting his head, Brandon could still see horrible things when he opened his eye. Threads of smoke rose from the tip of his pistol. Harry's body tumbled with the left side of his head bleeding. How was this possible? Brandon could swear that he had seen Harry pulling the trigger of his gun! Perhaps Harry's pistol had no bullets? Brandon wasn't sure.

Unfortunately, with Harry gone, Brandon didn't know what to do now. He had assaulted the Millennion agents to protect Harry, a traitor to the organization. Meanwhile, the syndicate men had lowered their guns all of a sudden. Maybe they wanted him to rot to death as a punishment? If it had to be like that, Brandon wouldn't mind. He was a traitor and deserved nothing but death. A painful one, preferably, although this part was _his_ stipulation, not Millennion's.

"Brandon! Brandon! _Brandon!_ "

That scream came from afar, but it pierced both his eardrums and heart. Mika didn't even call him by his nickname now; when she considered him as part of her family, she truly meant it.

Brandon closed his eye, drenching his eyelid with tears. Living or dying; both were wrong. If he lived, what would Mika think about him? He had left her behind to help a traitor; said person was also the very man who had murdered her parents. Meanwhile, if he died, what would happen if she found out that he had betrayed her? It would hurt her for sure.

Sometimes, Brandon thought that he was just a fool. Had he sided with Mika instead of Harry, he wouldn't have faced such dilemma. However, it also felt wrong to not help his best friend. Harry had known him since they were kids, and without him, Brandon might have starved to death in his teenage years.

Soon, he heard a gentle voice of a girl calling his name. Why did a traitor deserve love and forgiveness from a child? It made him feel like he'd better slip away from his consciousness.

* * *

_Lying on the rough ground, Brandon looked at the boy who stood beside him. The kid was bruised, battered, and disheveled, but he was not like him. Instead of trying to catch a breath, the boy glared past him with a fist clenched._

_"Just wait, you old fart! Someday I'll show you who's the boss!"_

_What a brash boy. The orphanage's crazy boss had better not hear that; otherwise, the boy, or perhaps the two of them, might earn another round of beating._

_Brandon lay still on the coarse earth. His face throbbed and burned with each breath._

_"Hey."_

_Brandon looked up. Upon spotting that brash boy gazing at him, he gulped. Was he trying to pick on him or...  
_

_"You're new here?" the boy asked with a smile._

_Noticing no malice in the boy's tone and face, Brandon nodded._

_The boy pointed at his own chest with a thumb. "I'm Harry MacDowell. What's your name?"_

_Oh, a new friend! Brandon wanted to smile back, but his swollen face didn't allow him to. After a few seconds of struggle against the searing pain, he muttered, "Brandon…Heat."_

_"Nice to meet you, Brandon," Harry said cheerfully, offering a hand._

* * *

The moment Brandon could feel warmth in his hand, he thought that he had unknowingly entered the afterlife and reunited with Harry. But when he realized that his fingers wouldn't flex properly, he found out that he was still stuck in this forlorn world. He frowned at this; when could he finally be at peace?

"Welcome back." That was again, Mika's gentle voice. It reminded him that he'd better live on to resolve his problem with her; otherwise, he was nothing more than a selfish, treasonous abomination.

He decided to force his rebellious eye open and face the reality. However, his heart soon ached as if a bullet had just torn it; Mika was holding his hand and smiling sincerely at him. And where were they? The only place that had such a big chair for him was Dr. Tokioka's trailer, where the doctor used to sustain his body.

Mika must've asked somebody to help him. She still cared for him, even though he had betrayed her.

Brandon twisted his stubborn neck and looked away, trying to avoid eye contact with Mika. However, it didn't do any good; he could still feel Mika putting his arm down on the armrest slowly and hear her say, "Brandon, just relax. We're inside Dr. Tokioka's trailer, so everything will be okay."

After returning his attention to Mika, he soon found another bullet piercing his heart. "It's okay. It really is. Just don't move too much."

Brandon only looked ahead vacantly, oblivious to the following chatters between Mika and some other people. _Why? I am a traitor. I've betrayed you all._

Moments later, a good suggestion came from Mika. "Brandon, just sleep, okay? The doctor will take care of you once we arrive at the quarters."

* * *

_Fast, irregular footsteps always hinted an anomaly in the graveyard. A cemetery was supposed to be silent; the loudest sounds he'd ever heard there were just people's sobs, which sometimes had the drumming noises of a downpour accompanying them._

_Brandon turned to the source of the uproar. Destroyers of peace. They stood there, clad in black suits and armed with pistols. And they pointed their guns at Mika, who stood beside him._

_"That's the target!" one of those men shouted._

_Looking at the trembling and tearful Mika, Brandon pulled her into a tight embrace._

_And a barrage of bullets came; Brandon could feel those puny pellets jabbing his back. When he no longer sensed the irritation, he turned to stare at those troublemakers. They'd better know what his death glare meant, unless they wanted to have their skulls smashed._

_"Yikes! What the hell is that?" The men began running away. "Retreat!"_

_Brandon returned his attention to Mika, who still shivered with tears trickling down her cheeks. He smiled and stroked her head._

_Mika looked up and smiled back at him. "Thank you, Grave."_

* * *

The dream snapped Brandon out of his slumber; bright lights greeted him when he opened his eye. Why did he dream about the moment he took some bullets for Mika? Was it trying to convince him that he still had something good within him? Or was it just trying to hurt him further?

 _Better forget about that._ Squinting in exasperation, he spent some time studying his surroundings. An oxygen mask on his face? Computers and metallic wall? This just felt and looked exactly like Dr. Tokioka's trailer.

"You're awake?" a man's voice suddenly came from his right side.

Brandon looked to his right. William stood there, plugging a tube into a blood bag.

"This is the third unit of whole blood given to you." William pulled away slowly with the tube and the blood bag still in his hand. "Don't move too much."

Brandon nodded.

"I see you can move your neck easily now." William hung the blood bag on the IV stand. "Anyway, go back to sleep, Sir. It'll help you recover faster."

Brandon closed his eye, wondering if he could sleep. His troubled mind might spark a dream in his slumber again. Or maybe not. He could try not to think too much about dreaming. After a few minutes of focusing his mind on his rhythmic breathing, he lost control of everything.

* * *

_An abandoned garage was never a place for people to settle in during winter. Its sturdy door and construction did make it a fine shelter, but what were some empty paint cans, rusty tools, and rickety furniture for? The small wooden sofa was cracked and uncomfortable to sleep on, while the concrete floor was too hard and cold to lie on. But for Brandon, that fact helped. This garage would make a good hideout for Mika, his protégé, since no agents of a crime organization would think that a thirteen-year-old girl would stay in such place. However, since he also stayed there, he would certainly make the child feel as comfortable as possible._

_As he heard a yawn from Mika, Brandon sat still on the sofa with his handguns lying on the cracked table in front of him. He lifted an arm, waiting for his little protégé to slip into his greatcoat. Once he saw her within the reach of his massive garment, he pulled her into his embrace. Slowly, he let her head rest on his chest._

_"Thank you, Grave," Mika murmured, smiling whilst looking at Brandon with a pair of droopy eyes. "You should sleep, too."_

_Brandon only nodded and smiled. He actually didn't want to sleep, since such state would render him oblivious to the surroundings. The goons they met at the cemetery were still hunting for Mika. But he would still close his eye, as staying 'awake' would make Mika unable to sleep. He was sure about it, since she often asked if he were okay even when he was clearly fine._

_Brandon pulled the flap of his coat with his other hand, covering Mika's petite body with the thick cloth. It certainly wasn't the best blanket around, but something was better than nothing._

_All of a sudden, Mika raised her head to look at him. "Um, Grave, you don't feel cramped?"_

_He shook his head. Mika was still young and had a higher risk of catching a cold, so she needed warmth._

_"Okay." Mika closed her eyes and smiled. "You know? I'm so glad that I got to meet you. I still miss Mom, but I feel less sad now…because there's you."_

* * *

Brandon woke up abruptly once more, only to find luminescence flooding his sight. Why did he have to dream about his kindness to Mika again?

"You're awake again?" William's voice came from his right side, and Brandon nodded with a scowl. "Hmm, I think I know why." Then, the lights went out with a click. "I may want to switch them on when I change your blood bag, though."

Brandon closed his eye, but this time, he couldn't avoid thinking. This dream pattern represented something. Why were those dreams about the moment when he took care of Mika? Why did they haunt him only after he had seen her kindness?

_Because I have once been so kind to her?_

Tears of both joy and sorrow began welling in his eye. Maybe his benevolence was why Mika loved him, but still, betrayal was unforgivable. The wounds it inflicted lasted for a lifetime.

He remained still, trying to focus on his rhythmic breathing once more to fall asleep. Unfortunately, the noise of scraping metal doors ruined his concentration. Some chatters and slow, graceful footsteps followed. Seconds later, he could feel something warm on his hand. It must be Mika, whose kindness began to tear his heart again.

As much as he wanted to sleep to avoid more pain, he thought that he'd better not do that. He might come across as a selfish, cowardly monster to Mika by ignoring her.

"Brandon, you're hurt somewhere?"

He wished he knew how to answer that. After listening to part of a boring debate about between Mika and William, he heard Mika say, "Do tell, Brandon. It's okay. Just let it all out."

Still, he didn't know how to elaborate his heartache to a child; maybe he needed more time. His wish was granted as another boring debate between Mika and William took place, yet he didn't manage to think of a fine wording for his explanation.

Mika spoke again, "Mr. Biscoe said that you were a traitor. Is it true?"

That question felt like a bullet launched from a sniper rifle into his heart. He couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

"Sorry. I don't mean to offend you, really!"

He opened his eye, and after taking a deep breath, he let out a pain-filled, "I have betrayed you."

"Huh? Don't cry, okay?" Mika smiled. "I'm not angry."

"I know," Brandon muttered, "but why do you still care for a traitor like me?"

"Why did you ask that?" Slowly, she climbed onto his torso, lay down on him, and wrapped her arms around his body. Nuzzling his neck, she whispered, "You're my family, Brandon, and I'll always love you."

"But I have-"

"Betrayed me?" she interrupted. "Brandon, you know why I think of you as my family and love you so much? Because you're a good person. Okay, you've betrayed me, but I know that you're still a good person. If you aren't, well…" She released him from her hug and pulled away slowly. Wiping his tears with a hand, she said, "If you were bad, I wouldn't see you this sad, because you would never realize that betrayal is bad."

Now, everything clicked. _Those dreams... Mika loves me because I'm a good person._ And with that, he finally managed to crack a little smile.

Mika placed her hands on a shoulder of his. "I'm sure that you won't betray me again. I know it, because you're a good person."

Brandon moved his arm very slowly before wrapping it around Mika's petite body. "Thank you, Mika." Somehow, tears managed to come out of his eye again. "Thank you."

Suddenly, William walked towards them. "I guess I'm wrong, huh?"

Brandon released Mika from his embrace and raised an eyebrow at the doctor's statement.

"Brandon can feel. And he's even aware of his betrayal. It's…fascinating."

Mika grinned at the doctor. "I've told you, Doc."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Actually, Harry's gun (which is Brandon's old gun) has no bullets. In the last episode, during the intermission after Harry is shot for the first time, there's a scene in which Brandon fiddles with his old gun. Brandon pulls the trigger, and it only results in a click. When the Millennion agents suddenly attack them, Brandon's gun is somehow switched with Harry's, which is still loaded. Then, they attempt to shoot each other in the end as a mutual mercy kill with the switched guns… Yeah, I'll leave at that. Upon discovering that one little mundane scene, I was surprised as well.
> 
> 2\. From the flashback in episode 25, it looks like the gang relies on Harry's income.
> 
> 3\. The dream sequences are mostly the retelling of what is in the anime with some modifications: the orphanage flashback after the credits and the scene in episode 1 and/or 18. The other one is an exception; it comes from my discarded project (or rather, a retool of a scene from my other work: Family). The setting is between episode 23 and 24.
> 
> 4\. Yes, I use 'Brandon' instead of 'Grave' throughout this work. Mika has been calling Grave 'Brandon' starting from episode 25.
> 
> 5\. An interesting thing I have noticed from the show is that Brandon/Grave only kills Orgmen and Superiors. When he deals with human foes, he tends to incapacitate them by beating them senseless or shooting them in non-vital areas.


	3. Rotten Not to the Core

The wall clock told Biscoe that he'd better stop by the organization's cafeteria with Norton, but William's sudden presence kept them stuck in the office. Placing his hands on the mahogany desk, Biscoe began sternly, "Are you here just to report that you've given Brandon the treatment he needs? You know, you can just use a phone instead of wasting our time."

"I have something interesting to tell you aside from that report, Boss. It's about Brandon."

"I see. Firstly, how is he?"

William only looked down, much to Biscoe's chagrin. Perhaps the doctor was hiding something? Rubbing his bushy mustache, Biscoe grumbled, "Don't waste our time, Doctor."

"He's fine now, although it won't be a good idea to let him fight," William replied silently without shifting his gaze. "Yes, I know. You can replace his leg with a prosthesis. However, it must only be worn when the wound on his leg has completely healed."

"How long does it take to recover then?"

"It usually requires two weeks before I can remove the sutures. After that, I need to wait until the wound completely heals. It takes approximately three weeks in total. For optimum results, you may want to give him some time to-"

"All right, all right, no need to get that long-winded," Biscoe grouched. "We can't wait that long. We need him tomorrow."

"I know, Boss, but if I remove the sutures tomorrow, his wound is sure to reopen and he'll be useless for a mafia operation."

"Don't remove the sutures then. Pain? I don't think it'll be an issue. His kind is known to have high pain tolerance." Biscoe almost grimaced at that statement, but his strong desire to be a strict boss prevented his facial muscles from making a move. _I know this is cruel, but I need to be a role model to my underlings._

"But-"

"Doctor, our organization made a lot of enemies during Harry's reign," Norton interrupted, tenting his fingers and hiding his mouth behind the interlaced digits. "When we tried to fulfill the Code of Iron by executing Harry, Brandon protected him and attacked our men. That's why he needs to be punished." He paused. "And the punishment has to be a harsh one. We're trying our best to adhere to the Code of Iron without disrespecting Miss Mika."

"Boss, please reconsider the punishment!"

 _I want to, but..._ Biscoe somehow managed to keep his face stern and stoic. "Why are you defending Brandon? He's a traitor. Betrayal is a serious offense in Millennion."

"I know, but he is my patient. Even if he's a convict, it's still my duty to prevent him from further disability."

"We don't need a reason that comes from your profession's ethics now, Doctor. You must have a personal reason. Tell us that. Maybe we'll consider giving him a lighter punishment."

"Well, actually, Brandon is a decent man."

Norton shrugged. "Because you never see his betrayal."

"He has betrayed Millennion, but actually, he isn't as bad as you think."

"I find it hard to believe."

"Hold it, Norton." Biscoe raised a hand. "Let's listen to the doctor." He looked at William. "I assume that this is the interesting thing you want to tell us?"

William nodded. "Yes, Boss. It surprised me when I learned that Brandon was clearly aware of his betrayal." He looked down, his voice diminishing in volume. "He asked Miss Mika why she still cared for a traitor like him." He raised his head. "He even _cried_. Really, I saw tears coming out of his eye."

"He cried?" Norton chuckled. "I can't believe it. Or maybe he's just pretending."

"He's not."

"We don't trust traitors."

"It's fine if you don't trust him, but at least, be a little lenient to him. He's already aware of his crime, and he's stressed out. If you keep treating him harshly just because of his betrayal, you'll only make him even more stressful."

"Why should we be nice to him? Betrayal is a serious offense in Millennion, remember? Letting a traitor live _and_ paying his medical expense are already very kind of us."

"Yes, I know. Brandon may be a convict, but he is _still_ a sentient being. You can punish him, but you must still treat him as humanely as possible."

"Doctor, we've saved him from execution, paid his medical expense, and allowed him to rest until tomorrow. That's not humane enough for you?"

"It's not that. You know, your acts won't do any good to Brandon's physical and mental state. He's injured and stressed out, but then, you force him to work." William's voice was cool and calm, but suddenly, it burnt with rage. "That will harm him, both physically and mentally! That's why! Let him rest until he fully recovers first!"

"All right, all right." Biscoe hit the table with a hand. "Stop arguing, you two. We'd better visit the trailer to see if Brandon is that decent."

* * *

William pulled the trailer's door open slowly. "Try not to wake him up abruptly, Boss."

Biscoe stepped into the truck with Norton following him from behind. Upon entering the trailer, bright lights struck his eyes. He stopped in his tracks and looked at William. "Why must it be this bright? You know that his kind prefers dark places, right?"

"At first, I thought Brandon would sleep better in the dark," William answered, closing the door as he walked into the trailer. "Yes, he didn't sleep well when the lights were on, but I soon discovered that they didn't really affect his slumber."

"How?"

"He fell asleep not long after Miss Mika comforted him. Then, when I switched on the lights to change the blood bag, he didn't wake up."

Norton chuckled. "I find that hard to believe."

"Because you didn't see it."

Biscoe glowered at Norton. "Quit it." He turned away and walked into the depths of the trailer. Inside, he found Brandon lying on a bed, motionless with his eye closed. He no longer had an IV line on his arm, but an oxygen mask still rested on his face.

Standing in front of the slumbering Brandon, Biscoe sighed. How could he prove whether William was speaking the truth or not? William had asked him not to wake Brandon up abruptly... No, it didn't matter. It wasn't necessary to be nice to a felon like him. Besides, he didn't think that snapping Brandon out of his slumber was an overly ruthless deed.

"Brandon!" Biscoe called out. No response came, and Biscoe yelled at him again. Even louder.

Brandon frowned and grunted before opening his eye, which widened all of a sudden. Shocked? Afraid? Biscoe couldn't tell. However, he wouldn't let that detract him from his main objective of visiting Brandon. Casting a fierce glare at him, Biscoe said, "We need to talk."

Rising to a sitting position, Brandon glanced past Biscoe before looking left and right.

"You hear me, Brandon?" Biscoe's voice was loud and firm. "I'm talking to you."

Brandon slowly retracted his neck before asking Biscoe, "Where's Mika?"

That question silenced Biscoe for a moment. A convict had managed to notice Mika's absence much faster than he did, while he was supposed to pay more attention to her.

"Um..." Biscoe looked over his shoulder. Perhaps William knew something.

"Having dinner at the organization's cafeteria, Sir," William answered, looking past Biscoe. "Well, I thought you would spend the rest of the time sleeping, so I didn't tell you. She'll be back soon. No worries."

Biscoe returned his gaze to Brandon, whose lips had taken a downturn.

"You're worried about her?" When Biscoe realized that he had asked such question with his eyelids drooping, it was too late. _But honestly speaking, I don't have the heart to treat him too badly._

Brandon nodded.

"Guards and surveillance cameras are everywhere in the building, so don't worry," Biscoe said gently. He almost placed a hand on Brandon's shoulder, but he suddenly remembered that he had to be a strict mob boss.

Suddenly, Norton stepped forward and stood beside Biscoe. "I have a question, Brandon. Answer me honestly."

Brandon looked at Norton and nodded.

"What is Miss Mika to you?"

Brandon looked down and murmured, "A family."

"But you betrayed her. You aren't supposed to betray your family."

"Sir! Don't mention that!" William shouted. "He is aware of-"

"Who knows he forgets?"

Although Norton's harsh attitude was intended for Brandon, Biscoe managed to scold, "Norton!"

He was about to follow his angry call with a lecture, but a low, rumbling "I won't betray again" interrupted him. Biscoe usually wouldn't take a remark seriously, but Brandon sounded earnest and sincere.

"Prove it to us. We'll assign you to a task, but of course, we'll first get you an artificial leg."

"What do you think about that?" Norton added.

After a moment of silence, Brandon muttered, "Fine." His head was still bowed, though.

"Good," Biscoe responded. "I'll make the preparation and tell you more about it later."

"How long are you going to stay like that, Brandon?" Norton's pompous voice suddenly came. "You know what you are? A convict. And you're currently facing those who have saved your life. And they are your superiors." He folded his arms and glared at Brandon. "Respect us!"

Brandon looked up, revealing his teary eye.

"Norton!" Biscoe finally lost it. "If you keep acting like that, you aren't better than a convict!"

Norton bowed; whether he had finally realized how terrible his actions were or Biscoe's anger had affected him, Biscoe wouldn't care. It was about time for his ill-judged right-hand man to learn.

Suddenly, Biscoe heard a click from behind. He looked back to see the trailer's door sliding open and Mika stepping in.

"Mr. Biscoe and Mr. Norton?" she asked. "You're visiting Brandon?"

"Yes." Biscoe quickly shifted his gaze to Brandon, who now looked past him with a little smile.

Mika walked towards Brandon. "I'm back- eh? Why are you crying?" She placed her hands on his shoulder. "Are you worried about me?" All of a sudden, she cast a fierce glare at Biscoe and Norton. "Or you? What have you done to him?"

Biscoe only looked at Norton, who was taking a step backwards with trembling lips. However, he couldn't help but gulp as well, because he had screamed into an unhealthy man's ears and woke him up.

"You hurt him, didn't you?" Mika's snapped. "You two are monsters! Can't you see how bad his condition is right now? He's injured and needs rest!"

"Mika," Brandon muttered through his oxygen mask, "it's nothing."

"Nothing?" Mika looked at Brandon. "But you can't be crying for no reason!"

"It's nothing at all." He smiled and pointed at his own chest with a thumb. "Trust me."

"Um, o-okay."

Turning around with his palm on his face, Biscoe thought of leaving the trailer immediately. Never had he felt this low; a felon had even chosen to forget about the nastiness he and Norton had committed.

No. Biscoe was a mob leader; he wasn't supposed to be that cowardly. He'd better swallow it up and show some kindness and respect to Brandon. He might come across as a softy to his underlings, but having such an image would never hurt as much as accumulating guilt in his heart.

"Norton," Biscoe began, "let's return to the office."

"Yes."

Biscoe looked back. "Brandon, Miss Mika, we're leaving."

"Okay," Mika replied. At the same time, Brandon nodded.

Walking past William, Biscoe said, "Dr. William, you may have a break for now. After I'm done discussing Brandon's task with Norton, I'll call you to the office. We need to talk about the prosthesis."

* * *

Biscoe knew that he was supposed to stop by the organization's cafeteria with Norton instead of heading straight back to the office; the wall clock had pointed at eight and his stomach had growled. However, he'd rather help Brandon first, to ease that clenching feeling in his heart.

"Biscoe, I think I understand why you were angry at me," Norton began, placing his laptop on the desk. "We're low, aren't we?"

"I realized that earlier than you did."

Norton turned his laptop on. "Huh?"

"Did you know that Miss Mika wasn't in the trailer when we visited Brandon?"

"No."

"We're supposed to pay more attention to her, right?"

"Yes."

"But Brandon noticed her absence before we did."

"I beg your pardon?"

"When Brandon woke up, he looked around. I first thought he didn't hear me, but it turned out that he was searching for Miss Mika." Biscoe buried his face in his hands. "Remembering that makes me feel uneasy, because he's better than we think."

"You know, Biscoe. That makes me feel even worse." Norton shifted his gaze to the trashcan beside the desk. "And then, I still chewed him out. I was just that low."

Biscoe put down his hands. "I start to understand why Miss Mika loves him."

"Because he's a decent man, isn't he?"

"Yes." Biscoe nodded and smiled slightly. "And he is also a good 'daddy' to that little girl."

"But still, he must work." Norton looked at Biscoe. "We're doing our best to adhere to Big Daddy's rule, so he has to be at least, punished."

"Perhaps we can let him do something that won't require too much physical exertion."

"Sounds fair." Norton typed on the keyboard of his laptop and stared at the screen.

Eager to know the best job for Brandon faster, Biscoe stretched his neck to look at the screen of Norton's laptop. Ant-sized words lay everywhere, reminding him to bring a pair of reading glasses next time. Knowing that he would only hurt his neck, he decided to pull away and wait.

"How does bookkeeping sound?" Norton suddenly asked, still looking at the laptop.

"Unfortunately, Brandon is an uneducated person."

"How about working as a salesperson? We need someone to trick people into buying our forged paintings and other stuff."

"He isn't a social person. Besides, who wants to talk to a dead man?"

Soon, another suggestion came. "May I suggest working at our loan shark department? He can rough up those who don't want to pay their debt. It may be harder, but the targets are usually not as dangerous as rival gangs or organizations."

"Sounds good, but I'd like a few more suggestions."

Moments later, Norton said, "I found a good one. Brandon isn't supposed to do it in such condition, but you may want to consider this task."

"Elaborate."

"There are a few people who refuse to rejoin our Millennion. The reason? They came from Harry's Millennion. With those people around, we aren't very safe." Norton turned to Biscoe. "Since those people once worked for Harry, they must know about Brandon. They can probably exploit his weaknesses with their knowledge about him, both physically and mentally. And considering Brandon's relationship with Harry in the past, this can be a test for him."

"Ah, I see your point. You want to test Brandon's loyalty, correct?"

"Exactly! After all, his crime was betraying us by helping Harry." Norton chuckled, leaning against his office chair. "I wonder if he will be hesitant to annihilate those goons."

"We'll see. But we need to reward him if he remains loyal to us. We're asking him to do a difficult task when he's still unhealthy."

"This is a punishment, remember?"

"Can I say that a convict is better than you?"

"Well…" Norton raised his head to look at the ceiling. Soon, his focus returned to Biscoe. "Fine. Let's discuss about the reward."

"If Brandon remains loyal to us, we'll let him rest. Once he has fully recovered, we'll just find a suitable job for him."

"But what if he chooses Harry instead of us?"

"Then, we can treat him in any way we like, although I'm not fond of that. We'll still let him live because of Miss Mika, unless she's so angry that she doesn't care about him anymore."

"We're free to execute him then?"

"Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Biscoe and Norton are very tricky to write, since they barely appear in the show. Even in the last few episodes, despite having major involvements in everything, their screen time is still minimal. The only impression I get from Biscoe is that he is a fairly decent man; although he first coldly dismisses Mika for begging him to save Brandon, he soon changes his mind. He finally decides to drive her to Brandon and stop the attack on Brandon and Harry, presumably to increase Brandon's chance of survival in the finale (discussed with impmontamer03 and DarkHorse26). Norton, however, is an enigma. Nothing is known of him other than being Biscoe's second-in-command.
> 
> 2\. If one ever deems Brandon as a traitor right in front of him, he will take it very personally, because his principle of life is to never betray (though ironically, in the end, he does end up as a traitor). Notice his unusual outburst in episode 20 and 23 after talking about his betrayal.
> 
> 3\. In episode 19, it's revealed that Brandon doesn't (or maybe can't) eat. The reason is unknown, but it's probably because he has some nonfunctional internal organs, which may explain why he needs his blood refreshed regularly.
> 
> 4\. In episode 25, Norton reads the list of people who are still loyal to Harry and refuse to join Biscoe's Millennion. Some plan to persuade them, but considering that there are at least ten of those rebels, I don't think persuasion works 100%.


	4. Good or Bad, Right or Wrong

The trailer's ceiling lamps were still shining. Mika had actually planned to mend Brandon's tattered clothes under the luminescence, but she had postponed her plan due to the incident earlier. Sure, Brandon could just fool people with his fake smile, but it was only because those dupes weren't his family.

When Brandon lied, though, Mika listened to him instinctively. She didn't really know why, but she would guess that he probably didn't want her to make a fuss with Biscoe and Norton. Now, since those old men had left, she would investigate about the incident. Standing in front of Brandon, whose bed had become a recliner now, she asked, "Mr. Biscoe and Mr. Norton hurt you, right? What have they done?"

Brandon only gave a faint smile.

"You can't get past me with that fake smile," she scolded, but her tone was playful instead of fierce. Digging up information without hurting Brandon's feelings was what she wanted.

"It's nothing." His face was dull; the only interesting thing there was the slight upturn of his lips.

Mika climbed onto Brandon's lap, slowly and carefully so that she wouldn't step on his bandaged thigh. Fortunately, when she knelt, both of her knees only touched his intact leg. "Don't hide anything from me, okay?" She pointed at the left side of his chest. "They hurt you here, right?"

Brandon only grinned slightly.

"Just tell me everything." Mika looked into his eye. "It sure will make you feel better."

After a long moment of silence, Brandon answered, "They reminded me of my betrayal and kind of scolded me."

"That's mean! They didn't know that you were already very sad because of that?" Mika growled. "Hmph, I shouldn't have backed down earlier," she grumbled, looking down. "I missed the chance to argue with those old men. No, maybe I can just visit their office-"

"You mustn't."

Mika blinked at him. "Why? They are monsters!"

Brandon shook his head and pointed at his bandaged thigh, prompting Mika to look at the stump. He was right; without Biscoe and Norton, she couldn't save him either.

"I see. They aren't...that bad."

Brandon nodded. "Because they always want the best for the young. You see, Mr. Biscoe and Mr. Norton saved me because they cared for you. However, I am a traitor. I have to be punished." He paused. "Honestly speaking, it is already very kind of them to spare me and pay my medical expense. Your father wouldn't have liked this, because he created the Code of Iron."

"What is that?"

"Traitors must be punished with death. That's what the code says."

Mika gasped. "Dad created that r-rule?" Brandon nodded, and she stuttered, "Y-yeah, I heard Mr. Biscoe and Mr. Norton t-talking about Dad. They said they had bent his rule f-for m-me. So, th-they were serious about that."

"That's why you must respect them. They have done the wrong thing because they care for you. You don't want me to die, do you?"

"No way!" Mika cried out, hugging him. "Not again, Brandon! You know? I was really hopeless when I found you earlier today!" Her eyes grew wet. "You looked terrible that time! I even thought that if you died, you wouldn't suffer anymore!" She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Brandon, I was thinking like that just so that I wouldn't be sad! I don't like being alone! Dad, Mom... They're all gone!"

Soon, she felt Brandon's large hand on her back and heard him say, "Be a good girl and respect Mr. Biscoe and Mr. Norton, yes? They saved my life for you, although they weren't supposed to do that."

Mika retreated. "So, if I meet them, I must apologize to them? I wasn't very nice to them earlier."

Brandon patted her back and nodded.

"Okay." As soon as Mika could no longer feel his giant palm on her back, she stepped down slowly. Aside from not wanting to burden him with her weight, she thought of mending his battle-worn clothes. Bullet holes lay everywhere on his greatcoat and t-shirt, while a huge rip resided on the right side of his pants.

Wait, she couldn't possibly leave Brandon alone on the chair; doing nothing might bore him to death. Yes, perhaps he could just sleep, but what if he didn't want to?

She walked towards the row of carton boards further beside Brandon's massive chair and peeked into one of the boxes. Big thick books were stacked neatly inside, but she had no idea what they were all about. _Forensic Medicine_ and _Handbook of Thanatology_ didn't sound like suitable titles for novels. But she still dragged one of the boxes towards the right side of Brandon's seat. In case he felt bored, he could just grab one of those strange books and read it. Maybe he would understand and find it interesting.

Pacing towards the metal bench on which a toolbox, a large piece of dark purple cloth, and the pile of Brandon's tattered clothes lay, she flashed him a smile as she heard him utter, "Thank you."

She sat on the bench. Upon grabbing the black pants and putting them on her lap, she smirked. It should be easier to fix the single huge rip on the trousers than the multitudes of holes on the greatcoat and t-shirt.

She opened the toolbox and took out spools of black thread, a needle, and a pair of scissors.

* * *

Mending the huge rip on the pants took quite the time and energy to complete; Mika could tell it from her drooping eyelids and aching back. Unfortunately, the color of the patch didn't really match with that of the pants'; it was a smudge of dark purple atop the sea of black.

Frowning a little, she looked at Brandon. "Um, Brandon, I've patched up your pants, but it doesn't look very good, huh?" She held up the pants.

Brandon put the book down on his armrest. After looking at the trousers for a moment, he smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

Placing the pants on top the pile of Brandon's torn garments, Mika smiled back. "Glad that you like it." She bowed. "You know, I'm afraid that the strange color will bother you."

"It won't."

Mika raised her head and blinked.

"We don't have many things here." Brandon picked up the book on his armrest. "Such as this."

 _Handbook of Thanatology._ Mika could only gawk.

"I don't understand what this book is all about, but I'm not upset. Like those pants. The patch makes them strange, but I don't mind."

"Why?"

"Your efforts and intention matter most."

"Um, yeah. I just want to see you happy. Truly happy. Even when you really smile, you still look a little sad."

Brandon put down the book on the armrest and snickered.

"Eh?"

"Your mother often told me that."

"Really?"

Brandon nodded.

Looked like it was the time to poke him; if possible, Mika would like to make him laugh. "You sure are well-known for being that sad!" She stood up and walked towards Brandon. "Care to tell me why you're always like that?" Receiving no answer, Mika insisted with her hands on her hips, "C'mon! You don't want to be sad forever, right?"

The response was just a small grin, followed with several gentle knocks coming from somewhere far.

"I'm not falling for that old trick, Brandon."

Still smirking, Brandon pointed at the entrance of the trailer. At the same time, more knocks resounded, which prompted Mika to quickly look at Brandon's leg. His foot didn't move even a bit, while she could still hear the knocks.

"Okay." She turned and walked towards the trailer's entrance.

As soon as she unlocked and pushed the door open, she heard a gruff voice saying, "Good evening." It was Biscoe, who then stepped into the trailer.

"Um, Mister?" Mika closed the door slowly, raising an eyebrow. It sure was strange to have a visitor this late.

"I have something to tell Brandon. It's about his work." Biscoe walked past her and towards Brandon. "How are you doing now?"

Smiling, Brandon answered with a firm, yet gentle "Fine."

"Good. I bet you're ready for your task tomorrow." Brandon nodded, and Biscoe continued, "Tomorrow, Dr. William will visit you at 1PM. He'll help you wear the artificial leg we've prepared for you. After that, Norton and I will fetch you." He smiled slightly. "Don't worry. Your task is fairly easy. I just want you to neutralize an opposing gang out there. They aren't particularly dangerous."

Brandon replied with a fading smile and a widened eye.

"I'm not lying. Do yourself a favor by believing in me, yes?"

It took a moment for Brandon to finally smile again and nod. "Thank you, Sir."

"You're welcome." Biscoe turned away. "Rest well, Brandon."

Seeing Biscoe walking towards the trailer's entrance, Mika called out to him.

Biscoe stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry for having been rude to you earlier, Mister."

"Oh, never mind." He smiled. "But that's very polite of you. As expected from Big Daddy's child!" He suddenly turned to Brandon. "Or maybe..." He returned his attention to her. "Miss, I'd like to talk to you privately. Can we speak outside?"

Mika gazed past Biscoe. It wasn't that she didn't respect the old man; instead, she didn't want to make Brandon worried again. Although it was obvious that he cried earlier not because of her uninformed disappearance, she had a feeling that he was also concerned about her.

"Miss?"

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

"It kind of surprised me to see you suddenly become this respectful to me. Did Brandon teach you something?"

Mika nodded. "He told me that you and Mr. Norton had bent Dad's rule for me. You do that because you care for me, so I'm supposed to respect you, right?"

A smile formed behind Biscoe's shaggy beard. "You know, hearing that makes me very happy."

"Huh?"

"Not only that I like your attitude, but also..." Biscoe inserted his hands into his pants pockets and looked at the basement's ceiling. "Brandon... He makes me glad that I have bent your father's rule. It isn't the right thing to do, but everything goes better that way." His gaze returned to Mika. "Don't you think so?"

"Yeah."

"Now, I won't dare to imagine the consequences of adhering to your father's rule and executing him." Biscoe looked down. "You'll be lost and lonely, won't you?"

"That's why I don't want him to die!"

"I understand." Biscoe smiled at her. "Anyway, I have good news. But don't tell Brandon about it until he returns from work tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"Actually, we're just testing his loyalty. His task tomorrow will determine if he will stay loyal to us. If he succeeds, we'll let him rest. When he has fully recovered, we'll just find a suitable job for him."

"Um, why do you want to keep this a secret? If he knows it, I'm sure that he'll be happy."

"I don't want him to be biased."

"Huh?"

"We want to know if he is truly loyal to us or not. You know, we just don't want to be difficult in the future."

"What do you mean?" Earning no answer, Mika asked, "Mister?"

Biscoe rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, forget about it. Just have faith in Brandon, yes?"

Mika gawked at Biscoe's answer. He was hiding something; she was sure about it, but what?

"I'm sure that he won't betray us." Biscoe rubbed his mustache. "As you've said _and_ I've noticed, he's a good person."

 _He's a good person._ That line replayed in Mika's mind and brought her back to the moment when she comforted a crying Brandon.

_"If you were bad, I wouldn't see you this sad, because you would never realize that betrayal is bad."_

Mika placed her fingers on her chin and nodded. "I understand."

"All right, Miss." As Biscoe walked away, he waved a hand. "I'll be leaving now. See you tomorrow."

* * *

Mika stepped into the trailer and closed the door, sealing herself with Brandon in the chilly little room. As she walked closer to him, she found it harder to keep that good news from him. Part of her kept telling her to move her jaw and speak up. She resisted the urge, but unfortunately, it only resulted in a contorted face and a growl.

"You look troubled," Brandon suddenly said.

She grunted. Somehow, she managed to suppress the instinct to blurt out the news to him. "Brandon, Mr. Biscoe asked me to keep a secret, but it's so hard to not say anything about it to you."

Brandon only grinned. "No need to tell me."

"Why?" She blinked. "This is good news, Brandon. Don't you want to know anything about it?" Brandon shook his head, and Mika questioned, "Why? Don't you want to be happy?"

"Mika, a secret is never supposed to be leaked out. If you happen to tell me anything about that good news, you betray Mr. Biscoe." He paused. "Remember? Betrayal is bad. It hurts someone for a lifetime." He smiled. "You don't want to do that to someone who has bent the rule for your sake, do you?"

Mika looked down and shook her head.

"Then don't tell me anything."

"Okay." She headed towards the bench and sat down, her hands shuffling through the pile of Brandon's torn clothes beside her. She would do some more sewing tonight before sleeping.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I slip in a few references to episode 20, particularly the moment when Brandon takes Mika to Maria's old house. Mika mentions that her mother, Maria, likes sewing. Another reference is related to the flashback between young Brandon and Maria in the park. Maria says that she doesn't need Brandon's words to know that he, despite smiling, is sad and/or in pain. Like mother, like daughter.
> 
> 2\. The unused cloth comes from Brandon's cowboy outfit, which is damaged beyond repair in episode 22. I stick with dark purple instead of grey though; the outfit does undergo a change of color in the show, but it's just weird, because what damages it is a bomb.
> 
> 3\. Since the trailer once belonged to a doctor, there wouldn't be many kind of books. Especially if the doctor was the one who developed the technology of reanimating corpses.


	5. Another Betrayal

_"To protect is to never betray."_ \- Gungrave series' tagline

* * *

The time for work was nigh; Brandon could feel it as the oxygen mask came off and the bandaged stump of his right leg entered the socket of the prosthesis. Unfortunately, he could sense an impending doom as well. When the tip of his thigh touched the base of the socket, he couldn't help but gulp. He felt no real pain, but he didn't like it when friction and pressure strummed the increasingly unsteady stitches of his wound.

"You don't feel comfortable?" William, who had helped him put on the artificial leg, asked gently.

Brandon remained still.

"Brandon, don't hide anything from the doctor," Mika told him. "If something isn't right, just tell."

"I'm fine." It was a lie, but he couldn't help it. If he spoke the truth, his already mild punishment might be forfeit. And everybody was sure to view Biscoe as a sentimental person, which wouldn't fit his status as a mob boss. He could be kind, but not to the point his underlings wouldn't be afraid of him. Fear ensured loyalty, while loyalty was necessary to keep the organization safe and stable.

"Brandon, please don't lie," Mika insisted, placing her hands on a shoulder of his. "It's for your own good."

"I'm fine," he reiterated very firmly; a little firmer than that, one would have thought that he was angry. Hopefully, Mika would buy his statement.

Looked like she trusted him; he was fairly sure about it when he heard her say, "Um, just come back safely, okay?"

He smiled and nodded. Soon, he could see Mika walking towards the steel bench and picking up his mended pants.

"I'll be waiting," she muttered, sauntering towards his seat with the trousers in her hands.

Brandon felt some tears welling in his eye as he heard that and saw the patch on the pants. Mika loved him, but the love wasn't similar to Maria's when they were teenagers. It felt more like...the kind of affection one would find in a family.

Unable to suppress his emotions, he placed a hand on Mika's head and nodded. "I promise I'll come back for my family." Taking the pants, he saw Mika smiling broadly.

* * *

The time for work was even closer; Brandon could feel it as Biscoe and Norton had stepped into the trailer.

"I hope you're ready, Brandon," Biscoe said. Brandon nodded, and the mob boss added, "Good." He walked towards the trailer's door with Norton. "Let's go."

Placing his only hand on the armrest, Brandon thrust himself up to a standing position. As he stood though, he felt like he was standing on one leg. It felt unbalanced, but it didn't particularly exhaust his good limb. However, the short prosthesis forced his body to tilt to the right side. Also, pressure and friction rubbed the stitches harder now, but unsure about what to do, Brandon only gulped.

"Walk as usual, Brandon. You can do it," William encouraged.

 _Yeah, there's nothing to be afraid of,_ Brandon told himself, stepping forward with his healthy leg. _I'm a traitor after all. I'm just getting what I deserve._ After a moment of silence, he nodded and moved his other limb. And the metallic floor suddenly rose to meet his face. The stump of his right leg felt sticky and prickly afterwards.

"Brandon!" Mika's concerned voice came. "If you're hurt, just tell! We'll do something!"

He didn't reply. He didn't want to. One wrong reaction and he might be free. Not that he wanted to suffer; he only wished to get what he deserved as a traitor. This would show Biscoe's underlings that their boss had no qualms handing out harsh punishments.

"Brandon, please." Mika wrapped her little arms around his back. "I care for you. I'm sad if you're hurt, and I'll be sadder if you don't let me do anything to help you."

"Let me go, Mika." He winced. His twisted face didn't come from his presumably reopened wound; instead, it came from the pressure to his psyche. Saying that would surely break his child's heart.

All of a sudden, as Biscoe pushed the trailer's door open, he turned and looked past Brandon. "Miss, how about this? You follow Brandon to work, but of course, when we arrive at the destination, you stay in the car while he carries out his duty."

Instinctively, Brandon stared and snarled at Biscoe. Was this old man's brain malfunctioning or what? His idea would put Mika in danger.

"Brandon, I'm not that reckless." Biscoe fished a cell phone out of his pants pocket. "I'll of course, send more guards to accompany us. Miss Mika's safety is very important to us, too."

Brandon's jaw relaxed immediately. At least, Biscoe still cared about Mika; otherwise, Brandon might want to argue with him. He was never fond of debating, but to protect Mika, he just had no choice. But still, this sounded terrible to him. Mika was the rightful heir of Millennion; the opposing gang might use her to gain advantage. Maybe they would hold her hostage. Or worse, they would probably concentrate their fire on her. Her death would definitely shake the whole organization.

As he felt a pair of tiny hands stroking his back gently, he could hear Mika say, "It's okay, Brandon. I'll just wait in the car. Mr. Biscoe's guards will protect me...right, Mr. Biscoe?"

"Certainly," Biscoe replied, bringing his cell phone closer to his ear.

Hearing that, Brandon couldn't help but stifle a nod. If he didn't let Mika go with him, she probably wouldn't release him either.

* * *

Cramming into the little sedan was a pain in the ass, but Brandon wouldn't complain. Biscoe had shown some kindness to him; aside from having supported him all the way to the vehicle, the mob boss had asked Norton to ride in another car, which had enabled him to occupy two-thirds of the backseat. However, Brandon doubted it was a good idea. The driver was Biscoe's underling, while Biscoe's benevolence might show the driver that his boss wasn't very strict.

Sitting still, Brandon's face fell.

Mika, who sat beside him, suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're sad, Brandon?"

He shook his head.

"Can you tell me why? It sure will make you happy."

"I'll talk to you after work," he grumbled. Maybe this would shut her up, although it might sound a little too harsh to her.

He was right. Now, he heard only the humming of a machine and occasionally, the blare of a horn. The environment was now tranquil enough for him to figure out what he should do later. To protect Mika, he had to annihilate the whole gang fast.

But wait! He couldn't bring them down quickly with just his fist. He needed a gun. "Sir," he called out to Biscoe, "can I have a gun?"

Biscoe looked back. "Sure. I'll lend you one when we arrive."

"More information?"

"About what? Your gun? A P226. Still has around fifteen bullets as I recall."

"The target?"

"Seven people. They come from Harry's Millennion, so expect them to be skilled with firearms."

Brandon shuddered at the mention of Harry's name. Did he have to show his ingratitude to someone who had accompanied him since he was a kid? Grimacing at that thought, Brandon placed his hand on his forehead and squeezed the front side of his skull hard. _Harry is already dead!_ _There's no reason to fight for him!_

"Brandon, you look nervous," Mika suddenly began. "Something is wrong?"

Brandon put his hand down on the seat. At this moment, he would naturally remain still to avoid problems, but her warm, soothing voice told him to face her instead.

Sporting a long face, he looked at Mika. She was his child; a little girl who loved him more than anybody else. He mustn't betray her again, or he would hurt her for a lifetime. In addition, Mika had a future; once she grew up, she would probably lead Millennion and become the most feared, yet respected woman in the town.

Placing a hand on Mika's head, Brandon spoke under his breath, "I won't betray again."

"Of course you won't," Mika said cheerfully, "because you're a good person."

Brandon grinned. He'd better not disappoint this girl.

* * *

The car didn't move for almost a minute despite being on a large, empty field. But Brandon could still hear its droning engine. Had they arrived at their destination?

Brandon looked through the window and spotted a single-story building standing in the distance. Dents occupied more than half of the tin roof, while the paint on its concrete wall was fading. How sneaky of Harry's underlings, using such a rundown building as a base.

"We've arrived," Biscoe suddenly spoke, catching Brandon's attention. Looking back, he took out a P226 from his suit and handed it to Brandon. "Do your job. When you're done, come back and report. I'll have others manage the clean-up."

Brandon took the gun and nodded. As he opened the car's door, he looked over his shoulder to glance at Mika.

"I'll be waiting." Mika smiled. "Come back safely, okay?"

Brandon smiled back and nodded. He landed his real foot on the ground, and after pushing himself out of the car, he teetered. Only when he stomped the earth with his synthetic foot did he strike a balance, although he stood a little stooped and lopsided.

Lame artificial leg. It was too short and didn't give the liberty to flex the knee. Maybe this was part of its design, but knowing almost nothing about science, Brandon thought he'd better stop making a fuss about it.

He began limping towards the entrance of the warehouse. Stuffy and pricking sensations crawled from the end of his truncated right leg each time he landed the prosthesis on the floor. His chest, too, tightened as he moved.

 _I have no regrets._ Brandon sighed. _This is what I deserve for betraying Millennion and my family._

His vision went black for a moment when he reached the roll-up door. Placing a hand on it to support his falling body, he gasped for breath. _No. What am I doing? I must protect Mika. I have to be fast._ So he leant back and kicked the door down with his good leg. Unfortunately, he crashed to the ground along with the door.

"Who the hell is that?"

Brandon raised his head at the rough voice. A tall bald man walked towards him, holding a pistol in his hand.

"It's Brandon Heat!" The man turned away. "Hey, get your guns ready! That monster-"

Brandon fired his gun to shut him up. Permanently.

His ears soon registered shouts and curses. The man's comrades now charged at him. Quickly, he took aim and fired again. Another man fell.

At this, the others stopped running and pointed their guns at Brandon. Sadly, their bullets just felt like puny pebbles thrown at him. Those pellets hit his face most of the time, though, disrupting his concentration.

Despite knowing that all guns had finite ammo, Brandon wouldn't wait until those goons reloaded their weapons. Sooner or later, they might find out that Mika was outside the warehouse. That wouldn't be good.

Raising his artificial limb slightly, he slowly pushed himself into a standing position with his intact arm and leg. He swayed momentarily upon getting up, but the imbalance faded once he landed his prosthetic foot on the ground.

Now, the bullets jabbed his chest. Ignoring the irritation, Brandon took aim and fired his gun. Dispatched a goon with a torso shot. And he did that again, again, and again. Corpses littered the ground afterwards.

But something was off; Brandon only saw six corpses, while Biscoe had said that there were seven men. What about the other goon?

Brandon immediately looked to his left side. Nothing. Just some crates stacked against the wall. All of a sudden, he heard a loud bang. A strong blow to the wrist followed, knocking the P226 out of his hand. He didn't bother to search his weapon; even if he found it, his artificial leg would hinder him from picking it up.

So Brandon simply looked ahead. A flattop-haired man stood in the distance, but not far enough to be just a silhouette. In his hand he held a massive pistol; smoke escaped from the tip of its long, gigantic barrel. _The D-Point!_ Brandon's eye widened.

"Heard from Harry that you once used this to incapacitate your kind." The goon cast a mischievous grin at him, like a predator that had cornered its prey.

Checkmate. If Brandon turned back, the goon would find out about Mika. Sure, he could use that as a distraction, but putting her life at stake was just unforgivable. Charging ahead wasn't a good idea either; one point-blank bullet to the head and all would be lost.

The goon walked towards him. "Before I shoot you dead, I want to talk to you. Maybe I'll end up sparing you." He halted in front of him. "What is Harry to you?"

Brandon was about to reply with "a dead man", but his heart didn't allow him to speak.

"Be quick. I hate waiting."

"My...best friend."

"Best friend, huh?" The man chuckled. "No wonder. You two grew up together, right? Heard that you've been with him for decades."

Brandon nodded.

"Say, Brandon, do you want to continue your friend's dream?"

Brandon remained still.

"Don't you remember? Harry's dream is to lead Millennion. He managed to be the boss for thirteen years, but he was then ousted." The man smiled. "Now, as his comrade, I plan to overtake Millennion. To continue Harry's dream." He paused. "So, lend me a hand? For your best friend."

Brandon almost nodded in an instant, but he managed to look down instead. At the same time, he saw a dark purple patch on his pants. Just looking at it generated the image of Mika's smiling face in his mind, which made him smile as well.

_My family. I mustn't betray her again._

He remembered the moment he told her that the strange color of the patch would never bother him. Silly girl. The funny-looking pants were never her fault; after all, the old trailer didn't have sufficient materials.

"Hey!" the goon suddenly demanded. "Answer me!"

Brandon shook his head.

"Harry is your best friend, huh?" The goon spat. "What a bull. You aren't supposed to betray your best friend, even if he's dead."

The speech felt like a bullet to the heart.

"I wonder what makes you that wicked. Does someone pay you more or what?"

 _No…_ Fist clenched, Brandon shut his eye tight and gritted his teeth.

"Anyway, you're just a false friend. I pity Harry for having such friend for decades." The goon sighed. "I'll finish you off then." He pressed the muzzle of his pistol against Brandon's forehead. "Too bad Harry isn't here to see his 'friend' die in my hands."

Enough was enough. Roaring, Brandon opened his eye and snatched the man's gun.

"What the-"

Brandon silenced the man with a headshot. Once his body fell, Brandon screamed and fired the gun again.

"Shut up!" he wailed, riddling the corpse with bullets. Once he discovered that pulling the trigger resulted in a click instead of a gunshot, he threw the gun at the bloody body.

Standing still with his whole body trembling, he murmured, "No, I'm never a false friend." Soon, his breathing grew heavy as tears escaped from his eye. "I have a family to protect." He then collapsed.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I have to betray you for my family." He closed his eye. "I hope you understand, my best friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The monster reference refers to Bunji's comment in episode 8. He wonders if Brandon is a monster when he sees Brandon dealing a headshot to a man behind a closed window and curtain. It probably foreshadows  
> Brandon's change to a Necrolyzer.
> 
> 2\. The D-Point is a huge pistol which Brandon uses to incapacitate Blood War's Necrolyzers in episode 10 and 11. Like the monster reference, this probably foreshadows the creation of Brandon's/Grave's Cerberus handguns.
> 
> 3\. I have always wanted to explore the friendship between Brandon and Harry in this work, but there seems to be no space left. For this moment, I think I'll leave it to the show itself, which is actually all about their friendship.


	6. Aftermath

Mika looked through the car's window. Men in suits and shades stood everywhere outside, pistols in hands, but they weren't what she sought. She only wanted to see whether Brandon had finished his work or not.

After a few minutes of sitting still and looking through the window, she finally spotted a hobbling figure moving slowly towards the car. Smiling broadly, Mika immediately called out, "Brandon!"

Suddenly, he crashed to the ground face first. Much to Mika's annoyance, the guards only looked at his fallen form and stood in silence. Even as Brandon tried to push himself back up with a hand and a leg, they remained still.

Mika instinctively grabbed the door handle. If those ill-mannered men didn't want to help Brandon, then she would do it by herself.

"Miss," Biscoe suddenly said, stopping Mika in her tracks, "leave this to me." He pressed a button beside him. As the window slid down, he commanded, "Go help Brandon, men."

The guards didn't respond.

Mika looked at Brandon, who now stood on his good leg and swayed like a piece of cloth. Soon, he fell flat on his back, and Mika winced at the sight.

"Help Brandon," Biscoe told the guardsmen. "He can't walk properly."

"But Boss, he's a-"

 _Convict?_ Face hardened with determination, Mika opened the car door and dashed out. Despite hearing a gruff "Hey, come back here!" from Biscoe, she kept running. Only when she reached Brandon would she stop. His wince and labored breathing broke her heart, but only for a moment. He needed a helping hand ASAP.

Crouching beside him, she grabbed his arm. "Brandon, can you stand up? I'll help you."

Suddenly, she heard approaching footsteps amidst Brandon's noisy breathing. The guards had come. "Miss," one of them began, "return to the car."

"Are you going to help Brandon?" she grumbled.

"Leave it to us, but please, return to the car."

Mika only stood up. The guardsmen probably still viewed Brandon as a convict, so she'd better not go back until they made a move.

"Mika, listen to them."

She turned to Brandon, who was still gasping for breath. "And leave you to them? I don't think it's a good idea. They called you a convict just now."

"They won't-" His breathlessness cut him short.

"Trust us, Miss." One of the guards walked past her and knelt beside Brandon. "Helping him is actually Boss' order, too. So, just relax and go back. We'll catch up shortly."

Mika nodded and began walking. But periodically, she turned to glare at the guards. They'd better not drop Brandon in the middle of the road.

* * *

Mika sat silently on the office's couch, oblivious to the conversation between Biscoe and Norton. Something was wrong with Brandon's leg; she knew it from the stench of spoiled meat and rusty iron in the car earlier. However, Biscoe and the driver had never complained. Perhaps they weren't aware of the odor. Or maybe they did, as they had left the car windows open all the way back.

All of a sudden, Biscoe called, "Miss, come here. We want to discuss Brandon's future job with you."

Mika walked towards Biscoe's and Norton's desk and sat on the chair across them.

Norton shifted his gaze from his laptop to Mika's face. "We're planning to put Brandon in the loan shark department. What do you think?"

"I think it's better if you ask him."

"We'll do that after he has had his wounds treated." Norton adjusted his thick horn-rimmed glasses. "We just want to know if you have any problems with our idea."

"I don't really know."

"I'll let you read Brandon's CV. It's outdated, though." Norton turned his laptop to Mika. "His career record is why we want to let him work as a loan shark."

Mika gasped at the screen. Brandon looked different in the photograph; his hair was black instead of white, and he had a pair of brown eyes instead of one gold eye. "Mister, how old is Brandon in this photograph?" she inquired.

"Eighteen." Norton turned to Biscoe, who was reading a logbook. "Is it?"

Glancing at Norton, Biscoe nodded.

Mika continued reading. "His birthday is 18th July 19635? I thought it's engraved as unknown on his tombstone, except for the year."

"Should be an error when someone tried to get him a headstone. Maybe the informant only knew his year of birth that time."

 _And he died in 19662._ Mika's face fell. _He died so young._

She read on. Brandon's educational background didn't interest her. _Just a graduate from a public high school._ The next was Brandon's career record. Pretty interesting. He worked as a loan shark for Millennion from 19654 to 19655. After that, he became a hitman for the organization until 'now'.

Mika looked up. "I think it's okay, but is working as a loan shark dangerous?"

"Not at all," Norton replied. "He only lends people money with an extremely high rate of interest. When people try to run away, he'll track them down and rough them up."

"He'll still fight?"

Norton nodded. "But the targets are generally harmless. If you aren't sure, you can ask him."

Before Mika could speak, a phone rang. Was it William? Hopefully yes, as she also wanted to know about Brandon's condition. Hours had passed since they arrived at the quarters, yet the doctor hadn't given any news.

"We have some work in the office, Doc." Biscoe suddenly hit the open logbook with a fist of his. "What kind of doctor are you? Speak more politely!" A pause. "All right, all right. We'll come." Biscoe hung up the phone and sighed.

"What happened?" Mika asked.

Biscoe stood up. "The doctor demanded us to come to the trailer. He sounded very angry."

Eyes widening, Mika cupped her mouth with her hand. "Oh, no. What's wrong with Brandon? Is he okay?"

"Don't worry, Miss. Brandon is fine. The doctor only has something personal to address with Norton and I."

Mika let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

Upon entering the trailer, William greeted Mika with a strained smile. "You stay with Brandon," he muttered. "He's fine. I just want to talk to Mr. Biscoe and Mr. Norton."

Mika nodded and walked past William. There, Brandon sat still on his massive armchair with an oxygen mask on his face. The bandaged stump of his right leg was no longer in the prosthesis.

"Brandon, you feel better now?" Although her nose detected no putrid odor and she no longer saw a breathless Brandon, she just wanted to be sure.

Brandon replied with a nod.

As Mika walked closer to him, she heard William say, "Boss, you made me upset. What kind of punishment is this? You nearly caused further disability to him."

Eyes widening, she stopped and turned, but a massive palm on her head caught her attention. Brandon ran a finger through her hair, smiling and shaking his head. She remained still in response, but her ears remained alert to the bickering.

"I tried to warn you about the risk of wearing an artificial leg so soon, but you simply brushed me off yesterday. And you threatened me. That was why I didn't bother confronting you afterwards." William took a deep breath. "But this time, I can't take it anymore. You two are _inhuman_."

"Watch your mouth, Doctor. We actually care for him," Norton argued, folding his arms. "Remember what we told you when we talked about the prosthesis? We've promised to let him rest until he recovers. It's to compensate what we've put him through today."

Brandon gasped at that statement.

"What's wrong?" Mika asked.

"They'll let me rest? Until I recover?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "Actually, I wanted to tell you that yesterday."

"But I'm a convict."

Instead of replying to the confused Brandon, Mika listened to the argument between William and Norton.

"Compensation can't erase the fact that you've mistreated him," William said. "You know what is actually wrong with his leg?"

"The stitches snapped and the wound reopened." Norton shrugged. "What's wrong with that? It only makes him feel uncomfortable."

"But it was left untreated for _hours_. By the time I examined him, the flesh around his wound had gone black. And it reeked. Fortunately, it wasn't too late yet, so I just had to get rid of the dead flesh instead of further amputating his residual leg."

"There's no reason for you to be angry with us then," Norton remarked coldly, closing his eyes. "We didn't cause him to lose more of his leg."

"That aside, there's one more issue. You noticed how stiff his body was yesterday? His chest wall was also stiff, and it hadn't regained its flexibility. As a result, he couldn't breathe well. And yet, you forced him to do such a heavy work."

"Shut up," Norton retorted. "As long as Brandon comes home alive, you have no reason to be angry."

"Sir, don't you know how it feels when you can't grab enough oxygen from the air? You'll black out. For most people, it's a terrifying experience. It's like you're going to die."

"Norton." Biscoe's eyelids dropped. "Honestly, that's very heartless of us. If you're in Brandon's place, I believe that's what you'll think of us." Silence. "You probably won't agree with me, but I'll do what I'm supposed to do." Biscoe walked towards Brandon with a pair of glassy eyes. "I'm not just a mob boss; I'm also a man."

"Mr. Biscoe?" Mika asked. "You look sad."

Biscoe simply said, "Brandon, be honest. Do you resent us for what we've done to you?"

Brandon smiled and shook his head. "It just has to be done. I'm a traitor to Millennion after all."

"So, you _willingly_ let us treat you so badly all this time."

"It's so that your men won't dare to betray you. It's to protect everybody." Brandon looked at Mika. "In addition, you've saved my life for her. For my family."

Tears finally streamed out of Biscoe's eyes. "Brandon, thank you for being considerate." He held Brandon's hand and gripped it firmly. "You're truly a decent man." He paused. "But remember. Sometimes when you think of others, don't forget to think for yourself, too." Biscoe released Brandon's hand. "Anyway, to compensate what we've put you through, we'll let you rest until you fully recover."

Brandon responded with a quirked eyebrow.

"Brandon, don't worry," Mika quickly said. "Mr. Biscoe really cares for you. That's why he wants to give you a break."

Wiping his tears with a finger, Biscoe nodded. "Just enjoy your day off. You deserve it." He turned away and walked towards the trailer's exit door. "Doctor, come to our office. We need to talk about Brandon's recovery process and aftercare."

"With pleasure."

"And before we leave, I'll remind you once more, Brandon," Norton added. "Don't betray us again. Don't make everybody difficult in the future."

Brandon smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

* * *

When Biscoe, Norton, and William had left the trailer, Mika realized that they hadn't talked about Brandon's job. However, she wouldn't bring up about that either. Maybe Biscoe and Norton wanted Brandon to fully enjoy his break. Funnily enough, Mika had a hunch that Brandon didn't really like the day off. Sure, he smiled, but his face looked dull. Maybe he still had something in his mind.

Mika sat on the unoccupied armrest of Brandon's recliner, only to find herself sitting on a cold, hard seat without a backrest. Well, she could just lean on the bandaged stump of his left arm, but that was unreasonable, even if Brandon was unlikely to care about that.

She bent a little before looking at him. And suddenly, Brandon pointed at his lap. "Sit here."

It was a nice offer, and Brandon sounded sincere. Mika could probably sit on his lap and lean on his torso... No. Mika knew she was too small to occupy his whole lap and burden the bandaged thigh, but still, accidents might happen.

"It's okay," Mika replied. "It won't be a long talk."

Brandon nodded.

"Something bothers you?" she asked. "Just tell me." No answer. "Just let it all out, okay? We're a family."

Looking down, Brandon finally spoke, "I betrayed my best friend for my family."

"Your best friend? Harry?"

He nodded. "I wonder if he understands my reason of betraying him. I killed his subordinates to protect you and Millennion."

"What kind of-" Mika managed to suppress her instinct to continue with "best friend is Harry, if he doesn't understand you?" She knew she might sadden Brandon if she spoke like that. _And I'd better not bring up about Dad's and Mom's deaths. I'll hurt his feelings if I do._

Moments later, she placed a hand on Brandon's head and ruffled his hair playfully. "He'll understand you. You know, he must be proud to have a friend like you."

Brandon looked up with a raised eyebrow and a gaping mouth.

"Harry is dead, but you still remember him." She smiled, putting down her hand. "You even find it difficult to betray him for your family. You're truly his best friend." Her arms almost moved by themselves to hug him, but she managed to halt them. She might fall into Brandon's lap and reopen his wound by accident. "I'm so proud to have someone that loyal in my family. I'm sure that you'll never betray me and the whole Millennion again."

Brandon replied with a smile; however, this time, every single muscle on Brandon's face moved.

It was finally a genuine smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The years are taken from what is etched on Brandon's grave in episode 15, including the unknown date of birth. But I specify his birthday here, because if his birthday is truly unknown, how can he be accepted in an organization like Millennion?
> 
> 2\. The curriculum vitae is the summary of Brandon's life from episode 5 to 14.
> 
> 3\. What William says about Biscoe's and Norton's cruelty actually parallels Harry's claim of Big Daddy being just as terrible as his crime, no matter how hard Big Daddy tries to atone for everything. In episode 26, Harry complains about that to Brandon, and he is actually correct. What did Big Daddy do to become a godfather? He hurt and killed a lot. Haven't brought his rule of executing traitors into consideration.
> 
> 4\. Mika is actually aware of Brandon's relationship with Harry. She learns it from Scott in episode 19.


End file.
